Saving Melanie
by xmayniacx
Summary: When a little girl shows up in Gibbs' daughter's old bedroom claiming her mother was sleeping in "red paint", you know you have a problem.
1. Red Paint

Disclaimer: I who doesn't own anything, except Melanie and the other original characters.

A/N: So as promised, here's the new edition of Saving Melanie. Regarding smush68's review, the reason it's Kate not Ziva is because I want to really show the difference in how they handle kids. Twilight will occur (briefly, not majorly detailed) in this story, which in turn will lead to Melanie meeting Ziva. As for meeting Jenny, hehe, that will in turn cause Jibbs. Because who's going to let down an adorable little girl? Also, I've decided to make Melanie five instead of three. The two years will give me some leeway on what I can do with her character. Oh, and for those of you who've read the first version, I realize this is wayyy different but I think it's better because there's a connection right away between Melanie and Gibbs which is the main point and plot of the story. So, I'm done rambling now, enjoy (:

Saving Melanie

Red Paint

BANG!

The single gunshot echoed throughout the small home of the Ross household. The normally neat and tidy house now lay in ruins. Furniture was turned upside down, lamps broken, a CD lying haphazardly on top of the shattered glass coffee table. A small child stumbled out of bed upon hearing the sudden noise as she tried to find the source. She checked her parents' bedroom, which looked as if a tornado had hit. Clothes were strewn everywhere, the vanity mirror was shattered, its jagged pieces littering the plush ruby carpet. The bed was a sight as well; its top mattress tossed carelessly against the wall, while the bottom mattress hung loosely off the bedframe. Sheets, pillows, and blankets were either ripped or bloody. The little girl's eyes widened in horror, as she continued surveying the damage. She tip-toed quietly, her pajama covered feet padding quietly along the stained carpet. She went through every room, some worse than others, but still a mess regardless. A thickening streak of red on the normally beige carpet of the Ross home made her stop. Something wasn't right. Gulping, she followed the trail through the destroyed dining room, before cutting off in the living room.

Lucy Ross lay crumpled in a heap on the once beige carpet. Her once shining hazel eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling. Her silk white pajamas were turning a sickening pink color. Beside her, lay a crushed cell phone.

"M…mommy?" Melanie sniffled, as Lucy stayed motionless, her eyes forever frozen looking at the ceiling. Something was wrong, she needed to get help. She began running throughout the destroyed home, before smacking into a pair of strong, muscled legs. An evil face smirked down at her through a jet black ski mask, as the figure grabbed for her. Melanie screamed as she narrowly escaped the figure's menacing grasp, flying out of the house, forcing herself not to look back. She ran through the back door into the back yard. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she needed to get away from that man. Her legs continued to push her forward, as she began breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath, but never stopping. It was pitch black outside, the moon barely visible through a thickening haze of clouds.

BOOM!

A clap of thunder echoed throughout the soundless night, as rain began to pour, bolts of lightning flashing before her eyes. The little girl kept running with all her might, her tiny legs going as fast they could carry her. She peeked back, only seeing the dark night behind her. Panic began to settle in. She was running from someone who was obviously a bad guy, and mommy…what had happened to mommy? But still, she pressed on, running, her breath coming out in rapid huffs and puffs. She ran through multiple yards, jumping at the sound of an angry guard dog, before she saw a sign of hope. A faint glow caught her attention in the distance. As she continued running, she could make out a house. The light was emitting from the bottom window in the front. Inside, a couch and a simple table lamp was visible through the sheer curtains. She stopped in front of the house, panting, trying to catch her breath. She went up to the door and was about to knock when she heard footsteps in the distance. A cold sweat broke over her forehead as she unthinkingly burst through the unlocked door. Outside, a stray dog passed through the yard, sniffing, before moving on and going down the street, his wet and muddy paws softly stepping on the wet asphalt. Inside the house, she looked around her measuring her surroundings. To her right was the room with the couch and the table lamp. Straight ahead was a small and simple kitchen. To her left was a set of stairs that lead to the upper level of the house. Terrified, she darted up the steps and into the first door that she could find in the hallway.

Down in the Basement

Something was off. Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs stopped sanding his boat as he listened carefully. He sensed he wasn't alone. Cautiously, he placed the sander back on the bench, and stealthily crept up the stairs. When he got up to the ground floor, he noticed the front door was wide open, and muddy footprints littered the WELCOME mat that Abby had gotten him. He had to chuckle at the fact that whoever the intruder was, had politely wiped off their feet, because not a single footprint could be found anywhere else in the house. Now something was definitely wrong. He clutched at his gun, as he began to carefully and cautiously search the downstairs half of his home. A few moments after discovering the house was clear, it dawned on him that the muddy footprints were extremely tiny. In fact, they couldn't have belonged to someone older than ten. Confusion swept over the normally stoic-faced man, as he crept quietly up the stairs, gun still in hand. Confusion turned to nostalgia, as a faint yellow streak of light glowed softly from the first door on the left. Holstering his gun back in its place, he quietly cracked the door open further, peering into the normally empty room.

Millions of flashbacks assaulted his mind, as he re-entered the long-unused pink room. The walls were a pastel pink with butterflies painted delicately along each of them, different blues and purples blending brilliantly with one another. Toys were still on the floor, just like they'd been when they were last used. The only thing different was the occupant.

A small child, around five, sat against the wall, her knees pulled up to her chest. She must have fallen asleep from exhaustion before he had made his way up into the room because she was dozing softly, her wet hair sticking to her pale face. Her pink footed pajamas were covered in dry mud, obviously the source of the footprints on the WELCOME mat downstairs. What caught his attention the most was her appearance. Her shoulder-length hair was a beautiful light, almost auburn shade of red. His stomach lurched as he realized who he was comparing the unexpected little girl to.

He walked quietly over to her, before picking her up and gently placing her in the long-ago used bed. He turned off the lights before going to his own room. A million questions were buzzing around his brain. Who was she? Why was she here? Was she lost? Where does she live? He sighed, before finally succumbing to some much needed sleep.

A high-pitched scream pierced through the once quiet house. Gibbs jolted awake and sprinted to the room where the child from the night before had currently been sleeping. Even he wanted to tear up at the sight that greeted him, and he didn't break easily. The once sleeping child was now rocking back and forth, her knees back in their place against her chest, as tears streamed down her porcelain complexion. He flipped the switch without missing how her small body flinched at the sudden presence. He quietly went over to her, before crouching to her level, next to the bed.

"Hello," he said quietly. The little girl nodded her head through tears as her own way of saying "Hello," before sniffling some more, hugging her knees to her chest.

"What is your name?" he tried. She sniffled once more, before speaking.

"M…my name is Melanie," she sniffled.

"I-I'm sorry I atruded your house, misser. I din't mean to wake you up. I had a bad dweam," she sobbed. He climbed onto the small bed, praying it would hold his weight, as he gently placed the child in his lap.

"It's okay, Melanie," he said gently trying to soothe the shaken child. When she finally calmed down, she climbed out of his lap and sat next to him, still keeping her knees hugged firmly against her chest.

"So Melanie, where are your parents?" he asked, trying to find out why she was there. At the mention of the word "parents" she broke into tears again.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset ya, kid. I just need to know so that I can take you home, where you belong," he explained. Melanie shook her head violently.

"P-please don't make me go back dere, misser. My mommy, she's hurted weal bad! And the mean man is looking for me! I don't want to end up like mommy!" she exclaimed, climbing back into his lap again. She didn't know why, but she found that he was…what was the word her mom had used before? Truthworthy? Well, it was something like that. Gibbs rubbed circles in her back, gently, as she continued to sniffle.

"What do you mean, Melanie? What happened?" he pressed gently, trying to get more information.

"My mommy…she was hurted real bad. Dere was a loud noise and when I went to find her, she was asleep in the living room, and she was laying in red paint. I tried to wake her up…but…she wouldn't wake up! Misser, the cow was upside down and mommy's room was disroyed!" she cried, burying her head in his chest. Gibbs' gut churned sickeningly in his stomach. Suddenly, finishing his boat within a reasonable amount of time wasn't his only problem anymore.

And there you have it (: The new totally re-written version of Second Chances, now Saving Melanie. Chapter two will be posted very soon, however three and four I need to plan out and draft. I hope you enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading your reviews (: Much love to the readers and reviewers.

~gummibearsX3 (:


	2. Meeting Team Gibbs

Disclaimer: I don't own anything :(

Saving Melanie

Meeting the Team

* * *

><p>Gibbs gently tucked the little girl back in bed.<p>

"Sir, what is your name?" she sniffled, clearing up, as sleep began to wash over her.

"Just call me Gibbs, kid," he said softly, patting her head.

"G'night Gibby," she said sleepily, falling back to sleep almost instantly. He sighed, before leaving and going back to his room. Tomorrow (well, really in a few hours, it was 2:30am after all) he and his team would get to the bottom of this mess. He owed it to the little girl. For some reason, he felt a strong attachment to her already. He began dozing again, waiting for the next morning to come.

His alarm clock went off at 0500 and he groaned, stretching as he got himself up. It was then that the previous night's events all came back to him. He rolled out of bed and made way to the small girl in his daughter's old bedroom. She laid peacefully, her thumb gently placed between her lips. He smiled, before going over to her and gently shaking her awake.

"Time to get up, kiddo," he explained, as he went over to one of the drawers, pulling out a pair of dark washed denim capris and a purple butterfly t-shirt. It was old, but he figured it'd do for now. Melanie climbed out of bed and gladly accepted the clothes he handed to her. She padded to the bathroom, looking for a toothbrush.

"Gibby! I need a too-brush please!" she declared as he came in, digging under his cabinet, finding a new princess toothbrush. So many things he'd meant to give Kelly that he never got a chance. At least they might be used now instead of gathering dust. She smiled as she took it gently and began to brush her teeth. Once she was cleaned up and dressed, she exited the bathroom and climbed down the stairs going into the kitchen. She found Gibbs looking through the fridge. All he had for breakfast was oatmeal and toast, and he was pretty sure kids liked neither. Sighing, he decided he'd just get her a cookie on his daily trip to Starbucks. They packed up and headed out to the car. It was then he'd realized he didn't have a car seat. Silently cursing to himself so she wouldn't hear, he ran back inside and up into the attic. It took a lot of digging through old (and in some cases painful) items that held so many memories before he found what he was looking for. An old worn booster seat sat in a box, its pink lining torn slightly at the edges, but other than that in usable condition. He grabbed it hastily before exiting out the front door. Once it was installed, he and Melanie were off to Starbucks. He knew they were going to be late, and DiNozzo being himself, well, he was going to have a field day with that. They pulled into the Starbucks parking lot, he grabbed his daily coffee, got Melanie a chocolate dipped cookie (which she happily and very excitedly accepted) and headed off to headquarters.

* * *

><p>Ping! The familiar elevator dinged throughout the bullpen as Senior (and VERY Special) Agent Anthony DiNozzo stepped out, his trademark cheshire cat grin plastered on his face for all to see. He sauntered over to his desk and plopped down with a hearty and overdramatic grunt while pulling a Boston Crème donut from a Dunkin Donuts bag. He greedily began to indulge into the delicious treat while clicking mindlessly through spam e-mails. The familiar ping! sounded through the bullpen again as Special Agent Caitlin Todd and Probationary Officer Timothy McGee entered, both engaged and talking animatedly about Kate's secret service days.<p>

"Wow, being on presidential protection duty sounds like some crazy work. Staying up and going to sleep at odd hours, adjusting to all the time changes. How the hell did you do it!" Tim exclaimed.

"Hey! Language probie cakes!" teased Tony. Kate and Tim only rolled their eyes at their juvenile colleague as they made their ways to their own desks, still chatting enthusiastically about the crazy aspects of presidential protection duty.

"Why, McTardy I'm surprised at you. Of all people to be late, you and Katie-pie over here just happen to be them. What would Gibbs say!" Tony taunted.

Kate was ready to fire back a retort but stopped herself in her tracks, hoping to trick him into thinking their stealthy boss was behind him. Immediately she and McGee composed their business face and waited for DiNozzo to catch the hint.

"What?" he asked, still not catching on? Suddenly his face went ghost white.

"He's right behind me again isn't he...?" he trailed off, eyes wide.

Kate and McGee just laughed as Tony began turning around in circles, eyes darting nervously around for their leader. When he didn't see him anywhere, he glared at them before going back to work.

The familiar Ping! sounded throughout the bullpen as Gibbs and Melanie stepped out of the elevator. All three agents' heads popped up, their eyes immediately going to Melanie, who shrunk back against Gibbs' pant leg, hiding from their stare. He ignored them as he and Melanie walked the catwalk to MTAC. The team continued to stare after them before he turned around, barking an order to them.

"Get to work!" he said before continuing his path to MTAC.

The team began typing furiously on their computers as they clicked and clacked away. It was a Friday and none of the team wanted to spend their Friday night in the infamous bullpen. Once they realized he was gone, they began gossiping like teenagers.

"So who do you think the kid was? You think it was his?" asked Tony, his eyes dancing excitedly, as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Kate and McGee just rolled their eyes as they tried to figure out who she might be.

"Whoever it was, she was a cute little girl. Pretty, too," listed McGee. Kate nodded her head in agreement, before Tony cut in.

"So fellow colleagues, what art thou doing on this lovely Friday night?" joked Tony, as he lazily slouched back in his chair, his hands resting behind his head.

"I have a date tonight with one of my old friends from MIT. Her name's Claire. We used to be study buddies," declared McGee proudly. Tony all but fell out of his chair at McGee's good news.

"Ha! Our little probie? On a date? Like, a legit date? Too funny. Good one, McGee," he chuckled.

"DiNozzo!" warned Kate.

"Hey now Katie-pie! No need to get your panties in a wad. Oh wait, they probably are. You did say she was a thong girl, right McGee?" he taunted, while narrowly missing the paper ball that Kate had chucked at his head. Tony just shrugged, chuckling internally, before returning to work.

Study buddies? Ha! What a load of bull. He thought to himself, smirking as he began typing again. The three began to fall back into their monotonous pace, trying to finish the seemingly never ending reports.

Gibbs returned with Melanie from MTAC and both stalked into the bullpen, although Melanie more or less stumbled in, since she was nervous being in front of so many people.

"Todd! McGee! DiNozzo! Campfire!" he instructed, as the three wheeled themselves over, forming a triangle around Gibbs and Melanie. Melanie looked at the three agents with confusion written all over her small features. She tugged on Gibbs' pant leg as he crouched down to her level, before whispering to him.

"Why did you say three boy names? There's a girl here too."

Gibbs chuckled before whispering back.

"Todd is Kate's last name. That's DiNozzo and that's McGee," he pointed to the corresponding agents. Melanie nodded her head in understanding.

"Listen up. This is Melanie. There's a very good possibility that…" he paused, trying to find a way to explain the situation without upsetting the little girl again. Tony caught his drift and nodded his head in understanding. He mouthed it to the other two, who quickly caught on as well.

"Melanie, I want you to meet my team," announced Gibbs, a slight edge to his voice that Tony managed to catch; pride. Tony wheeled his chair over to the little girl, smiling as he went to shake her hand.

"Ello there my dear, around these parts they call me Anthony, but you can call me Tony," he smiled his infamous Cheshire cat grin, earning an adorable grin back.

"I'm the very special, and believe me, I do mean VERY SPECIAL senior field agent on Gibbs' team. I am a huge fan of movies of all kind. Well, any movie that doesn't have to do with vampires that is. I have a huge movie collection," he finished his mini autobiography with a dramatic sigh as he rolled back to his place in the "campfire". Melanie stared at him for a few minutes as if giving an assessment.

"Tony….ou look weally pretty," she giggled, causing the others to laugh so loud that their coworkers were peeking over their cubicles trying to figure out what was going on. Tony just blushed bright crimson, before waiting for the next member of the team to go.

"Hello, Melanie. My name is Kate. I like to bake and shop. I have a dog named Tony. I'm sure she'd love to meet you," she smiled warmly again at the little girl, who smiled back slightly braver than before. Melanie darted her tiny hazel eyes back and forth between Tony and Kate as if trying to make some comparison.

"Tony….don't take tis perfonally, but Kay is a lot pwettier den you," she stated confidently, causing the team, even Gibbs, to laugh loudly again and Tony to grumble to himself.

"Melanie, my name is Tim. I like computers and I'm working to be a part-time writer. I already have two books published. I have a younger sister named Sarah who also graduated from MIT like me. It's nice to meet you," he finished. Melanie just stared at him, before giggling madly. The four team members just looked at each other in confusion. Finally calming down, she spoke again.

"Tim… I sorry, but Kay and Toby are way pwettier den you. You look like…a bubby! Can you hop?" she asked, her face showing that she was extremely serious. Tim sulked in his chair while Tony gave Melanie a high five. Once everyone was settled again, Gibbs became serious.

"So Melanie, why don't you tell us about you?" asked McGee. She smiled, placing her tiny hands in her lap before beginning.

"My name's Melanie Ross. Last night, my mommy was hurted weal bad so I ran away from the mean man in our house and I ran to Gibby's house. He letted me stay in a pink room with butterflies and got me a cookie this morning!" she said, her eyes shining excitedly.

"I like aminals, coloring, and I like to bake cookies like Kay," she smiled in Kate's direction as she said the last part. Tony couldn't help but form a strange look at the sound of hearing "pink room with butterflies" and "Gibbs' house" in the same sentence.

"Alright, now that we know each other, it's time to get down to business. Kate, find out any information you can on the Ross family, DiNozzo you too, I'm sure there's a lot of information to sort through. McGee, whatever they find, do that techy junk and get me an address, as well as any recent activity. Now!" he said as he took Melanie's hand, leading her to the elevator.

"Where are we going, Gibby?" she asked.

"To meet one of my favorite members of our team; you'll love her," he said smiling, as the elevator doors groaned closed.

Next up, Melanie meets Abby. That should be fun (: Oh hey by the way, there's a reference to See No Evil in here. Lemme know if you found it in your review, but don't say what it is. Let the others find it too (:

~gummibearzX3


	3. A Hippo Named Bert

Disclaimer: Um…can I just set this for every chapter when I say I DO NOT OWN A THING EXCEPT MELANIE AND ANY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN HERE. THANK YOUUU (:

Spoiler: Well….more like a piece of Requiem (Spelling...? hehe) It's one of Gibbs' memories scenes where he's leaving to be deployed or whatever and Kelly is crying for him to stay. While the whole scene itself wasn't fully acted out, I tried to paraphrase it how I thought it would be.

* * *

><p>Saving Melanie<p>

A Hippo Named Bert

The elevator no sooner closed when all three members began chatting excitedly.

"Did you hear that? Gibbs' already become attached to the kid. He even gave her a bedroom!" exclaimed Tony.

"I don't know, Tony….I know Gibbs is…good with kids, but a bedroom already? Tony, we don't even know who her parents are. For all we know, he could have been hiding her all along," theorized Kate.

"All I know, is that we need to get to work before we're unable to have kids ourselves, if you catch my drift," announced McGee, while Tony just flinched uncomfortably at the thought of being kicked "there". They all rolled their chairs back to their desks and began digging for information.

"Hey McStud, I hate to break it to ya, but I think you're gonna have to cancel that date tonight," announced Tony, smirking cheekily.

In The Elevator

"You'll love Abby, Melanie. She's very..." he stopped, searching for the correct word that would do their quirky but loveable friend justice.

"Very what, sir?" Melanie asked politely.

"Very...different, but don't worry, she's as nice as can be. But you might want to cover your ears. She tends to like her music loud." he reassured her as they waited for the elevator to take them to their designated floor.

"I like loud music, though. Mommy used to dance with me to loud music," she stated sadly.

* * *

><p>Abby's Lab<p>

Forensic scientist Abby Schuito was dashing about in her lab from machine to machine. Since there hadn't been any fresh cases, MTAC had her re-analyzing previous evidence from former cold cases. Suddenly, she straightened up and turned around, looking expectantly towards the elevator. Three seconds later, Gibbs exited just as her senses expected. What she wasn't expecting was the small child holding his hand in a death-grip, her frame trembling slightly at the goth's odd and semi-frightening appearance.

"Aww Gibbs, who's this? "she asked, crouching down to Melanie's level, who slouched back slightly away from Abby.

"This is Melanie. Abs...we think..." he trailed off before signing to her "murdered mother". Abby gasped and ran straight to Melanie, enveloping her in a HUGE Abby-style bear hug.

"Abs! Stop! She can't breathe! Let her go!" Gibbs instructed, trying to free Melanie from her insane bear hug. Melanie just stared confused before speaking again.

"Gibby you were wight. Abby funny." she said, shrinking back toward his leg again. Abby pulled a hurt face.

"You told her bad things about me? How could you Gibbs!" she shouted, heavily offended.

"Relax, I said no such thing," he reassured her. Abby reluctantly nodded in agreement before bending to Melanie's level once more.

"Hi, I'm Abby. I'm sorry I frightened you. May I have permission to hug?" she asked, a glint in her eye. Melanie looked to Gibbs for approval, who nodded his head. She stretched her slim arms to Abby who gladly (and much more gently) returned the favor. Abby made a dash over to a shelf in the lab, before coming back with something hidden behind her back.

"What's that?" asked Melanie, peering around Abby trying to see what the mysterious object was. Abby just smiled warmly at her.

"Close your eyes. I have a surprise for you," she instructed, as Melanie obediently did so. A loud farting noise ripped through the room, causing Melanie's eyes to snap wide open, as she tried to find the source. She came face to face with a stuffed...

"Pig?" she asked, confused by the strange stuffed creature Abby was holding in front of her.

"No silly. He's a hippo. His name is Bert. Here, squeeze him," she smiled, giving Bert to Melanie, who hesitantly squeezed him, producing another fart similar to the previous one. Melanie giggled happily, squeezing Bert multiple times now.

"Melanie, I want you to stay with Abby for a little bit, ok?" informed Gibbs, as he began walking towards the elevator.

"Don't go, Gibby. Please?" came the small plea.

FLASHBACK

"Daddy don't go. Stay with me and mommy," sobbed a six-year old Kelly. Shannon looked sadly back to her husband, who looked like he was fighting back tears of his own. He crouched down and embraced the small child.

"Shhhhh. don't you worry, daddy will be back soon, I promise," he said kissing her head, humming her favorite lullaby.

"Hush little baby, don't you cry, daddy's gonna sing you a lullaby," he kissed the top of her head once more, kissed Shannon goodbye, and stepped into his truck, waving to the sad pair as he pulled out of the driveway.

END FLASHBACK

"Gibbs! Gibbs!" Abby was madly waving her hand in front of his face. He snapped back into reality, seeing an equally confused Melanie.

"Gibby, why are you crying? Don't cry Gibby," she begged, pouting.

"Kid, I don't know what you're talking about," he grumbled. Abby just stood, her mouth agape. Melanie was right. There was a single tear still trailing down his face. Melanie reached toward him, wanting to be picked up. He did so and looked at her expectantly, as if asking "Why?"

She gently traced her finger across the wet path and showed him the single tear drop on her finger. He just grumbled to himself, before putting her back down, patting her head, and entering the elevator. Melanie stared after him, before turning to Abby.

"Now what?" she asked. Abby looked around, trying to find something to occupy the five year old. A smile crossed her face.

"Ever tried a Caf Pow! ?" she asked.

* * *

><p>Bullpen<p>

"What do we know?" asked Gibbs, as he stalked into the center of the bullpen. McGee pulled up an image of a beautiful red haired woman, somewhere in her late twenties, smiling back at them. Next to her was another photo, but of a man. He looked to be early thirties. Between their pictures was a picture of Melanie. Gibbs just felt his stomach churn again. Just like Melanie looked like Kelly, the mystery woman looked like Shannon. Did God really need to remind him of his troubled path? Re-awaken the demons that he'd tried to keep at bay? The answers would need to wait, because there was a little girl down in forensics whose mother could very well be dead.

"Boss, meet Lucy and Matthew Ross, Melanie's parents. Lucy Ross, born on July 26th of 1978. Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Avery and Lynnette Cameron. Graduated from Bayside High in Malibu, California. Attended Ohio State for nursing school. Moved down here to Maryland to work at PRMC. Must be doing pretty good there, she's the head nurse. Usually works day shifts, but has occasionally worked night shifts. She met Matthew Ross in 1997, married him on May 3rd, in 2000. Didn't seem to go well, since they divorced in 2004," McGee informed. Gibbs just shook his head and chuckled at the word divorce, before McGee went on.

"Her criminal record's clean aside from a few speeding tickets. Other than that, she's just a normal citizen of Maryland. No known enemies or foes either," he finished.

"Matthew Ross on the other hand is Lucy's exact opposite. Born on December 7th of 1975. He's the son to Mr. and Mrs. Vincent and Angela Ross, attended Carson High in Carson City, Nevada, and barely made the qualifications for graduating. Joined the Navy in 1994, but was dishonorably discharged eight months later for possession of drugs," read Tony, as he studied the notes he'd taken from the information they'd managed to gather.

"What kind of drugs, DiNozzo?" questioned Gibbs.

"From the description, sounds like straight up crank,"

Gibbs just looked at him, not even bothering to figure out what "crank" was.

"English?"

"Meth, boss. And a lot of it. Looks like he'd managed to snag about 5 ounces of the stuff. Heaven knows how. Meth is very expensive these days. From that much, I'd say he had to come up with about $15,000 at the least, depending how high-quality it was. From his educational history, or lack thereof, I haven't a clue how he managed to pay for any of it," he explained.

"Think he could have stolen money as well? To pay for this, crank, or whatever it's called?" theorized Gibbs.

"It's possible," said Tony, as he continued going through the papers in his hand.

"Got an address for me, McGee?"

"As a matter of fact I do, Boss. The Ross' own a three bedroom house on Maplevine Boulevard. House number is 843," he read off his computer screen, before looking back at his boss, waiting for instructions.

"Kate, call Ducky, get him and his assistant on the scene,"

"I'll gas and GPS the truck," announced Tony as he gathered his stuff.

"That won't be necessary. I know where to go," announced Gibbs as he grabbed his gun, holstering it, before entering the elevator. The three just stared at each other once again, unable to say anything.

"You coming or what? I'm not holding this thing all day," Gibbs barked, as the three rushed over and got in.

* * *

><p>Ross Home<p>

The truck pulled up slowly into the Ross' driveway, as everyone assessed the damage. Windows were shattered, the front door was busted and hanging wide open, and the classic white picket fence was chipped. To be honest, it looked as if no one had been living there for years. The four got out of the truck, grabbed their gear and began searching the place. Tony went first, followed by Kate, both guns in position in case of any intruders. They split up, searching every room of the house. Tony searched every bedroom as Kate went through the living room and kitchen. She was almost finished with the sweep through the bathroom before a THUD was heard coming from the closet door. Gun in tow, she cautiously opened it. An elderly man around his late fifties or so, came flying out of the closet, knocking her in to the sink. She tried to fight him off, scream, but he covered her mouth with his hand, as she continued to fight against him. Suddenly he drew a gun and held it to her temple. She gulped, and gave up.

"Who the hell are you?" he growled, pressing the gun harder into the side of her hair.

"Kate, where are you?" called Tony as he entered the bathroom, eyes widening at the sight.

"Whoa man, put the gun down, and we can talk," said Tony as he tried to calm the agitated old man down. The elderly man just kept his gaze focused on Tony before making Kate sit on the floor, her hands behind her head.

"Look man, we're Feds. See?" Tony flashed him his badge trying to prove his point. The man snatched it from him, looking at it, trying to find any proof it may be fake.

"Where the hell were you-" Gibbs cut off as he took in the current scene. The elderly man seemed to buckling under the pressure so he ran. Of course, he didn't get far; Gibbs was standing smack dab in the middle of the door frame. Tony cuffed the man who'd attacked her previously, before making sure Kate was okay. Gibbs grumbled as he walked the man out and sat him in the back of the van.

"Jethro, we have a problem," announced Ducky from the dining room. All three agents went over to where he was standing. Instead of finding the body of Lucy Ross, they found a man's. He looked to be about late thirties, cropped black hair, and dark brown eyes.

"Who the hell is this?" grumbled Gibbs.

* * *

><p>Things to look out for in Chapter Four:<p>

Shopping with Abby

More insight on the case

Reviews are delightful (:


	4. Mr Riley

Disclaimer: Oh you know…the usual… (:

A/N: I love how you all love (or so it seems so in your reviews) this story. It just makes my day to know that I'm capable of producing something worth taking the time to read and possibly enjoy ( I know, I know, way too hard on myself, but hey everyone does it) So anyway, thanks for the support little dudes and dudettes. Read onn (:

* * *

><p>Saving Melanie<p>

Mr. Riley

* * *

><p>"McGee, sit out here with our guest and make sure he doesn't get into any trouble, ya got that?" barked Gibbs, as he, Tony, and Kate went back to the house to talk to Ducky. McGee grumbled to himself as Mr. Riley did the same.<p>

"So, McGee, is it? What the hell are a bunch of feds doing out here in the Ross' house?" he growled. McGee composed himself and turned, looking him straight in the eye.

"With all due respect sir, I could ask you the same damn thing. How do you think it looks to find you popping out of a closet, threatening to shoot one of our own? Not good, sir, I can assure you that," he fumed. The man calmed down, before speaking again.

"Listen kid, I didn't mean to scare you, or hurt your lady friend over there, but I'm just trying to look out for the place. Last night I heard a gunshot and rushed over here. When I got here, Melanie was nowhere to be seen, and I couldn't find anyone in there. I love that child like she's my own. Her mother's had it rough the last few years, ever since that no good son of a bitch husband left her, and I've been here to help pick up the pieces. We've been there for each other after my wife Rosie died. Now I know what it looks like, sir, but I swear to the Good Lord that I did NOT kill that man in there," he finished his rant, grumbling to himself again.

"Sir, what is your name?"

"My name is Mr. Jeremy Riley. I live in the house next door. The Ross' are my neighbors, and all I was doin' was tryin' to protect Melanie, you got it kid? I didn't kill nobody, didn't shoot nobody, just trying to protect them,".

"Well, Mr. Riley, I appreciate the honesty, but we're still going to need to take you into NCIS custody for questioning. You did assault a federal officer after all. We won't press charges, but if you do anything else to instigate it, we will not hesitate to do so," explained McGee.

"I don't' know if this will help or not, but that man you found over there, he's a new guy. Just moved here in the house next to mine. He knew Lucy though. Don't ask me how because I haven't a clue, but it sounds like they knew each other back in college or something. Don't know his name either," said Mr. Riley, before lying on his side.

"Thank you sir," muttered an irritated McGee.

* * *

><p>In The Ross House<p>

"Duck, did you find any ID on him?" Gibbs asked, as he began searching the room for any clues. Tony and Kate were snapping away with their cameras, bagging and tagging any "evidence".

"I'm afraid not, Jethro. We'll need to run his fingerprints through the system, when we get home,"

"What about the COD and TOD?" Gibbs asked, impatiently. He didn't' like it here; he felt as if he were being watched.

"It appears this young lad was strangled I'm afraid. You can tell by the abrasive marks along his neck. As for the time, it couldn't have been any more than eight hours," he checked his watch, "putting it at around 0400 or so," he finished, as he zipped the man up, and toted him out to the truck.

"Gibbs! Over here!" called Kate, indicating for the boss to follow. He walked over to her and was met with a partially crushed cell phone.

"Can Abby fix it or what?" he asked impatiently.

"Maybe not by herself, but with McGee, it's possible," she assured him.

"Check it out! Security cameras!" called Tony, as he showed them the camera he'd managed to snag from the living room wall. Gibbs took it and began inspecting it trying to find…what was that thing called that stored the video? McGee had told him before, but of course he didn't remember.

"There a reminder cord in there any where DiNozzo?" he asked, still inspecting the contraption.

"Memory card, boss. Yes there was one. I took it out, it's been bagged. I'll have McGeek and Abby go over it, I'm sure there's feed on there," he explained, as he bagged the other three he'd found.

They continued to survey the house, before coming to the sitting room. The once white piano was smeared in dried blood, and debris littered the floor. Tony immediately began sifting through it, trying to salvage any possible evidence they could use to determine how the man had been murdered. Suddenly it dawned on him, they hadn't found another body; a female body.

"Hey boss, you sure the kid's mother was killed here? Her body's not in the house anywhere," he reported. Gibbs just grumbled. Not only did they have an unidentified body, they also hadn't any idea where Lucy Ross' body was, if she was really murdered as Melanie had told them.

"Put a Missing Persons out for her when we get back DiNozzo, c'mon we're heading out," he announced as he and Kate exited the building. The drive back to NCIS was a quiet one; Mr. Riley had conveniently dodged talking to Gibbs by falling asleep.

* * *

><p>Abby's Lab<p>

"Aww oh my god, you look ah-mazing Mel!" squealed Abby in delight. Melanie stood looking at her reflection in the mirror in awe. Her purple t-shirt was replaced with a sparkly skull shirt, her capris replaced with black skinny, child-sized jeans, and her hair in two braided pigtails. She wore an NCIS hat that was two sizes too big, but she didn't care, she liked it that way.

"Abby, why are there two holes in the top of my hat?" she asked. Abby just laughed before speaking,

"Kate and Tony weren't on the best of terms that day," she joked. Melanie's eyes went wide, before looking back at the hat again in the mirror.

"I wish they wouldn't do that, they might get hurt really bad, like Mommy," she said sadly. Abby just nodded, before giving her the small Caf Pow! they had gotten before. Melanie took a huge sip before making a content (and very cute) Ahhhhh noise. This had been her third one, and she was already exhibiting signs of a caffeine rush.

"Abs, need you to fix this," announced Gibbs as he walked into the elevator, passing by Melanie, without even looking down. She frowned, before walking over to him. Abby's eyes widened at the heavily damaged device.

"Are you kidding me? I may be good, but I'm not a magician. This looks pretty bad, Gibbs. I'm not sure I can promise you that I'll have it 100% by the time you want it," she rambled.

"Get McGee to help you, you've got three hours," he called over his shoulder as he made way to the elevator. Melanie's lip began to tremble as he walked past her again.

"Gibby!" she cried, hurt that he'd completely ignored her. He turned around and stared at the small child. He was…well shocked. The once adorable little girl was replaced with a mini- Abby.

"Abs, " he semi growled, semi joked.

"Fix her back to how she was when we got here," he warned, before patting her on the head, and walking back out.

"Aww Gibbs, c'mon. She's so cute this way!" she pleaded. He just gave her a glare, before exiting into the elevator.

"Sorry kid, what he says goes, he is my boss after all," she said dejectedly, as she gave Melanie her old clothes back. She put them back on, but left the pigtails and hat on.

"I like it," she said simply, when Abby arched her eyebrow at her in question. Thankfully, they had managed to go to a toy store when they were out on their small shopping spree. Melanie had acquired two Barbie dolls, four outfits, and a pink beetle car, which she pushed around, making vroom vroom noises, while Abby got back to work on fixing the damaged cell phone.

"Whatcha doing Bee bee?" asked Melanie, as she went over to a very stressed out Abby, who was currently trying to re-wire the circuit board.

"Trying to revive this phone, even though I'm pretty sure that it's impossible," she grumbled the last part to herself.

"That's mommy's!" exclaimed Melanie as she went to grab the phone. Abby quickly took it from her and put it out of reach. Melanie's eyes began to water at the sudden and unexpected action.

"I'm sorry, kidd-o but this is evidence now. Evidence is only allowed to be touched by me or the team, okay?" she explained gently. Melanie nodded her head in understanding.

"But can I say that mommy has another phone like that? She telled me that it was a….a…back down phone! In case she lost her first one," Melanie explained.

"Melanie, do you have any idea where it could be?" asked Abby, who suddenly lost interest in the damaged circuit board.

"She always kept it in her pocket, no matter where she was. Even if she was sleepin', but I never got why," she speculated. Abby cursed lightly under her breath before going back to work on trying to fix the circuit board.

* * *

><p>Interrogation Room #1<p>

"McGee! I did not agree to this! When the hell can I leave!" shouted an angry Mr. Riley from his seat in interrogation. Suddenly, Gibbs entered coffee in hand.

"It's about time someone came to take me out of this damn room. It gets boring; same old view all the time you know?" rambled Mr. Riley.

"You're not going anywhere before you tell me what the hell you were doing in the Ross' home, hiding in a bathroom closet with a gun," growled Gibbs. Mr. Riley sighed, before explaining.

"Look, Mr…" he stopped and looked for a name tag anywhere, before Gibbs flashed him his badge.

"Look, Mr. Gibbs, I did NOT kill that guy you found there. I swear to you he was NOT there when I went to the Ross' house. I heard a gunshot at 1:00am and came over to see if Melanie was hurt. When I came over there, everything was ruined. It was a disaster. Melanie was nowhere to be seen and neither was Lucy. I decided to stay there in case Melanie came back,"

"Still doesn't explain the gun, or why you hid in the bathroom,"

"I heard someone, sir. I heard someone running through the house, so I grabbed the gun I found hidden under the bathroom sink, and hid. I must've dozed off, because when I woke up, that lady of yours was searching the damn place, pointing the gun all over the place like it was some secret spy mission," he grumbled.

"So you didn't get a look of who it was then," assumed Gibbs, laying his arms across his chest.

"No, I didn't but they sounded pretty heavy footed. I heard some furniture being moved, a loud thud, and then like I said, I hid, and fell asleep," he explained, starting to get slightly agitated again. Gibbs just stalked out of the room.

"This mean I can leave now?" called Mr. Riley.

Behind the glass, stood McGee, Gibbs, and Kate.

"Well, Kate? What'd you manage to piece together from that?" he asked.

"He's telling the truth Gibbs. He loves that little girl. From what McGee's told me, sounds like he was Melanie's grandfather-like figure of her life. You can let him go for now," she explained. Gibbs nodded, before going back into the room and letting him go. Tony escorted him to the elevator.

"Security will handle it form here," he explained, after pushing the down button, and going back to his desk. The others were scattered throughout the building, working on the case. He kicked back in his chair, staring at the picture of Lucy Ross and her ex-husband, Matthew Ross, trying to piece together where she could be. There hadn't been any hits yet as to her whereabouts but he was determined to find her, dead or alive. And though the optimistic side of him hoped alive; the realistic part won.

"Where are you Lucy Ross?" he asked, as he began to make phone calls to all the connections that she had.

* * *

><p>So I'm hoping this will hold you guys off for a little while. I need to draft out five and six before I can start writing them again. I'm also hoping to get the review meter up a little. How about if we get the review number up to 25-30 then I'll update? Either way I'm updating, lol, but it'll get it there faster hehe.<p> 


	5. McScaredy Cat

Disclaimer: Nope…..I don't recall owning anything other than Melanie and any other original characters and the plot.

A/N: Let's see….it's been…four months…I apologize for real life getting in the way, what, with summer plans, after school activities and of course end of school exams I'm lucky I even managed to keep up with real life. So don't think I totally forgot about this because haha, I deff didn't…..but writer's block did play a part….curse you writer's block! Anyhoo, enjoy ahaha.

Saving Melanie

McScaredy Cat

Abby's Lab

Melanie sat on the floor, playing with her Barbies, as well as pushing them around in the small car when a loud beeping was heard. Abby rushed over to the source of the sound as Melanie too, tried to walk over, tripping occasionally before making it to Abby. She had a look of excitement on her face as she began handling the heavily damaged cell phone.

"Bee bee, what is that?" she asked.

"This, my young protégé, is the key to one of our problems. And in about three seconds, the bee-man will be down here," she declared proudly. Right on cue, the elevator beeped signaling the presence of another person. Melanie stared in awe, back and forth between the beaming goth and her latest caretaker, as he strided past her, other three agents in tow, as they began making a bee-line to Abby.

"Well?" he demanded, impatiently.

"I managed to recover about 85% of the date so far. It seems Lucy was a very technologically educated individual," she began.

"So she was a nerd like McGoo, huh?" Tony taunted, his eyes darting over to a blushing McGee.

SMACK

"Shutting up now, boss," he remained silent, as Abby waited to continue.

"So as I was saying, she kept all her important records on this memory card in PDF format," Abby then began pulling up the multiple files that had been stored on the device. On the screen, various documents became visible, ranging from the three family members' birth certificates to bank records, as well as a copy of Matthew's criminal history.

"Two questions, one, why is that on there?" Gibbs asked, pointing to Matthew's criminal record.

"According to McGee, Mr. Riley shared some information about Lucy's relationship with Matthew when they were in the truck. He told him that while they had been having troubles, she'd been trying to make it work, since her job wouldn't be sufficient enough to provide for both Melanie and herself. Maybe she was hoping she could turn Matthew's life around, by constantly reminding him of his flaws," Abby theorized.

"And two, why does she have it in this TGF format or whatever it's called? She some kinda paper-saving tree-hugger?" he asked.

"That is a good question, which I actually am not sure of the answer. There are many reasons for her method of record keeping. I guess she would at least have them whenever she needed them, wherever she went," explained Abby.

"Get me the other 15% of the data. You have two hours," he stalked out of the room, before taking Melanie's hand, the other three agents following him.

"Where are we goin'?" she asked, carrying her Barbie with her to the elevator.

"Lunch," came his simple reply as the elevator groaned shut.

In the Elevator

Melanie sat at the four agents feet, gently stroking her doll's hair, while the four waited for the elevator to come to a stop. She stood up, reaching out to McGee, looking expectantly. Tim darted his eyes back and forth between his co-workers, confusion etched into them.

"Pick it up, McScaredycat, didn't scouting teach you anything," Tony hissed.

He hesitantly reached down and clumsily placed the small girl in his arms, holding her slightly away from him.

"Oh for goodness sake, Agent McGee, it's a kid, not a snake," Gibbs said, agitated. Sensing the probationary agent's slight discomfort, Melanie began to tear up, reaching for Tony instead. He too took her hesitantly, before reluctantly laying her head on his shoulder, rubbing the sniffling toddler's back.

"W-why doesn't he liking me?" Melanie whined, in between sobs, her Barbie doll dangling in her hands by its hair.

"S'ok kid, he just isn't used to this, that's all," he explained, shooting daggers at a flustered McGee.

At last the elevator arrived at their designated floor, as Tony gently set the now calm toddler down. All three male agents exited the elevator as Kate stood, waiting to exit as well. Melanie waited for her, before walking cautiously over to her.

"May I hold your hand," she asked politely, afraid to extend her own hand. Kate just shook her head, smiling, before taking the toddler's small hand in hers, noting the black nail polish with sparkles that coated her nails. Three hours and already she was turning into a mini-Abby. The pair walked over to Kate's desk, Melanie sitting on the floor beside her chair. Hesitantly, Kate patted her lap, as Melanie began climbing onto her. She slowly wrapped her arms around the small toddler, trying to type but finding it rather difficult.

"Didn't I say it was lunch time?" Gibbs demanded from his desk. The three looked at one another before gathering their things and heading towards the elevator. Melanie just sat in Kate's chair, unaware of what to do, looking over to her caretaker.

"Go ahead with them, I have some work to do," he explained softly.

"Gibby no come to lunch?" she whined. He shook his head, before resuming his rather slow pace, typing into his computer. She trudged over to the waiting three in the elevator, reaching up this time to Kate. She effortlessly scooped her up, setting the child on her hip.

"Where we goin'?" she asked, excitement lighting her eyes.

"Well, what do you usually eat?" Tony asked.

"Caroni and keese, kickin' nuggess, pizza, French fries," she replied, excitedly.

"Somebody sure has an appetite," joked Kate.

"Macaroni and cheese it is then. Think we could chill with Mr. Bob Evans?" Tony joked to the other two adults.

"We have an hour lunch break, and Gibbs is already agitated. Do you really wanna risk more head slaps to you?" McGee warned.

"Awwwwww don't be a baby McWhiney, it's for Melanie so he won't get mad, besides, I'm driving," he flashed his infamous grin, as the three left the elevator.

"Crap….we don't have the car-seat," Tony groaned. The three began to turn back around and ask Gibbs for his keys when all of a sudden Melanie took off heading towards a blue sedan. She effortlessly opened the door, as she began tugging at her, well, Kelly's, car-seat.

The three rushed after her, Tony helping her unpeel the car-seat from the actual seat of the car.

"Don't run off on us like that, Mel," he lightly scolded, breathing slightly heavily from running after her. The other two nodded their heads in agreement, as they began walking back towards Tony's car, Tony carrying the pink contraption. Once it was safely and properly installed in the backseat of his cherished Mustang they were ready to go. That is, until Kate and McGee got in a scuffle of who was riding shotgun.

"C'mon Kate," McGee whined.

"You know I'm not good with it," he continued. She just shot him daggers before sliding into the front seat.

"Oh let it up, McBaby. Like I'd wanna be seen with you in my front seat when I can have a hot - Ow!" he whined, rubbing his side, where Kate had elbowed him, glaring at him, forcing him to re-word his last sentence, carefully of course.

"Why would I want to be seen with you in my front seat when I can be seen with…" he struggled for words before deciding on just "Kate".

He backed out of the parking garage carefully, heading out onto the highway. It was only a few minutes into the drive when there was a loud grumbling.

"Guess we'd better get there soon," Tony joked to a now blushing McGee.


	6. Lunch

Disclaimer: To save typing energy, I am now enforcing my "I own nothing but the original characters" act that will be in effect for all the chapters in this story. Thank you for your cooperation (: haha

A/N: None that I can think of at the moment.

Saving Melanie

Lunch with Mr. Evans

Tony pulled into the parking lot, parking in one of the few spaces left.

"Gee whiz, what a crowd," he muttered, as he and Kate exited the car. McGee however was having a more difficult time as he tried to unbuckle the contraption that contained Melanie.

"Man, McGoo they really didn't teach you anything did they," Tony grumbled, pushing him out of the way, un-snapping Melanie from the car-seat. He gently set her on the ground, before whispering to Kate,

"You know, I was kidding before about the whole "not knowing anything from scouting" but this is just sad," Kate just chuckled lightly under her breath, before taking Melanie's hand, as the four entered the red building.

A rather robust woman waited by the counter as they entered.

"How many?" her monotonous tone obviously showed her feelings towards her work.

"Four, please," Tony smiled his infamous thousand-watt smile in an attempt to bring some light onto the woman's face. Surprisingly it failed, as she just gave a dull" Follow me," as she lead one bummed out DiNozzo and the others to find a seat.

"Do you prefer a booth or table?" she asked, clearly bored.

"Boo!" Melanie said with excitement. The woman just pointed to the nearest booth, before setting down the menus and silverware, wrapped in napkins.

"Your server will be here momentarily. Have a nice day," she droned, before trudging back to her position at the front.

"Somebody needs to retire soooon," Tony sang to his co-workers, who only rolled their eyes in response.

"Dibbs on Kate!" Tony announced obnoxiously, pulling Kate into the seat beside him. McGee frowned; Tony really did hate him after all.

"Toh-ee I wanted to sit with her," whined Melanie. McGee just gave Tony a smug smile as Kate began to get up and go sit with Melanie.

"Just keep your distance, McSnuggles," he muttered. Once everyone was seated to their liking, they began going over their menus.

Soon after, a slim blonde who's nametag identified her as "Brandi" sauntered over to their table. Showing her obvious liking to the male special agent, she plastered a bright smile on her face.

"Hi! I'm Brandi! I'll be your server today!" she enthused. Kate bit back a gag, while Tony nearly leaned over McGee, trying to get closer to their waiter.

"Why, hello there, thank you for your service," he smiled his "charming" infamous smile. Brandi gave him a rather odd, not to mention confused facial expression to his boldness.

"Uh….thank you?" she stuttered to Tony, who by now also wore a confused expression.

"Umm…anyway, what can I get you…sir?" she asks.

"I will have the hamburger and French fries platter, please," he smiles at the last word, obviously head-over-heels for their by now somewhat green waitress. She turns abruptly away from him, looking straight at McGee.

"And for you?" she plasters her huge smile that she was wearing before, as it dawns on all three of them that it wasn't Tony she was looking at, but Tim. He clears his throat before speaking.

"Uh…uh…I would like the chicken club sandwich please," he stuttered, his face as red as the building itself.

"No problem," she smiles again, eyes sparkling with admiration. Tony huffed in the corner, pretending to see something interesting out the window, obviously sickened by the interaction.

"And for you, miss?" she turned to Kate, pen ready to write on her note pad.

"I'll have the apple cranberry spinach salad," she turned to Melanie, who sat quietly playing with her Barbie.

"What do you want to eat for lunch?" she asked her. Melanie looked up and began "reading" her menu, before pointing at the picture of a plate of chicken tenders and French fries.

"Chicken fingers and fries it is, then," Brandi said kindly, as she began collecting up their menus. Melanie tugged Kate's sleeve before whispering,

"No caraoni and keez?" she pouted. Kate shook her head no, before turning to give the waitress her menu as well.

"Oh, I almost forgot, what do you all want to drink?"

"Coke"

"Water"

"Tea"

"Ackle juice"

Brandi nodded before walking back to the kitchen. The table was quiet for a little while before Tony broke the silence.

"So Melanie, tell us some more about you," he gently coaxed.

"I like zebras, dogs, fishes, lady bugs, butterflies, and bats," she stated.

"Y-you like bats?" Tim stuttered. Melanie nodded her head, eyes wide.

"Yeah. Bee bee does, so Melanie does too," she said it so nonchalantly that the three adults had to bite back a laugh; they didn't want her crying again.

Suddenly Tony's eyes went wide.

"Oh, no…" he trailed off. The other two looked at him confused before it hit them. They hadn't even thought of asking Abby to go with them. She was gonna kill them.

"Shit…" Tim cursed under his breath, earning a scolding glare from both Tony and Kate.

"Sorry," he muttered, looking down at his lap.

The table remained somewhat quiet for a few minutes before Melanie spoke,

"I like the color pink but I like black more, ok well maybe not more, but I like it a lot too. Look at my nails!" she exclaimed holding out a small hand to show the trio. They looked on in admiratioin, giving her a thumbs up.

"I like slushees and ice cream. But I don't like chocolate ice cream, only banilla or thrawberry. I wanna meet Cinderella someday. She's really pretty," the toddler continued on and on, as the three listened earnestly. Who knows, maybe some of this could lead them further into what happened to her mother.

"I'm gonna be in kinnergarmin this year. Well….I was supposed to be," she trialed off, her eyes going to the table in front of her.

"I want to have my own baby dog but mom wouldn't let me. She said daddy wouldn't like it. I don't see what the big deal is. It would be my own dog," she said this part sadly.

"Does Daddy get along with Mommy?" Tony pressed.

"No. They fight… a lot. Daddy hasn't come home for... I think mommy said it was three weeks," she said, pouting her lip. The three pondered this, before she went on, telling more about herself.

"But I do not like cats. Cats are mean. They scratch and make weird noises at you. Cats scary."

The waitress arrived with their food by now, as she set the plates in front of them, cutting her off, mid sentence.

"If you need _anything_ else, let me know," she said, still gawking at Tim, who suddenly became interested in his chicken club sandwich. They proceeded to eat their lunch in silence, savoring the much needed food. When everyone was finished, Brandi returned with the bill.

"Thank you for eating here with us at Bob Evans," she smiled warmly at all of them; although her smiled lingered much longer for McGee.

"Who's paying?" Tony joked. But after receiving two glares, he hurriedly whipped out two twenties and a five, leaving them on the table.

"Why such a big tip?" Kate asked astonished.

"Hey, she made some moves on our little McSingle here. Gotta give her some credit," he teased. The four walked out the door and headed to Tony's car. Just as McGee was getting in, Melanie made an announcement.

"No."

"W-what do you mean, no?"

"Kay."

"What?"

"You up there."

He trudged around, opening the door motioning for Kate to go in the back. She complied without hesitation as he climbed in, trying to avoid the annoyed look on Tony's face. Once everyone was buckled, Tony drove off.

Bullpen

The elevator doors pinged as a brunette dressed in a gray skirt suit entered the bullpen. She wore a pair of matching gray kitten heels and couldn't have been older than at least twenty five or so. She carried a briefcase, signifying her profession. She scanned the room, before heading over to the familiar silver haired figure.

"I'm looking for a Mr. Gibbs," she announced. Gibbs lifted his gaze from the paper in front of him, acknowledging her presence.

"Yeah,"

Before she could speak, the elevator doors opened again, revealing three smiling agents and a giggling toddler. They walked into the bullpen, before going silent at the sight in front of them.

"There something you need?" he asked gruffly.

The woman turned, staring at the now silent little girl, before turning back to the impatient man at the desk.

"Her."


End file.
